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Moseley-born Madin was possibly the single biggest influence on architecture in Birmingham in the 20th century, with works like the old Central Library and Pebble Mill drastically changing parts of the city.

But he played a more subtle role in the redevelopment of Birmingham's finest suburb which had been the preserve of many large Victorian mansions set in splendid gardens.

Madin was asked to draw up a masterplan for the redevelopment of the Calthorpe Estate in 1957 and became the scheme's chief architect.

Highfield Road runs through the Calthorpe Estate

And it was the gardens of the estate's large homes that would form the context for denser, more affordable living in Edgbaston.

Our tour starts with Highpoint, a development of low-rise flats and a single tower block between tree-lined Richmond Hill Road and Harborne Road.

Beautifully laid out amid trees and rolling lawns, the whole estate still sits well in its landscape, enhancing the buildings.

Every turn gives a new vista with distant views through buildings framing tiny cameos of original planters, pathways and tranquil space.

The whole estate is well looked after thanks to the enthusiasm of the residents' group who clearly care for their environment. Little has changed from Madin's original design.

Most of the steel-framed windows have given way to double glazing but it has been carefully done and in keeping with the architecture.

Details of door furniture, internal staircases and original planters remain as first designed. We don't often discuss garages but here they deserve a mention.

Sited in the landscape partially below eye line, they are actually two storeys and arranged so that each block overhangs and shelters the ones below.

They still serve their purpose well, detracting in no way from the overall feel of the area.

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You would be hard-pressed to notice another Madin Edgbaston development if you did not know it was there, so well is it set into its landscape.

On the corner of Arthur and Carpenter Roads is Warwick Crest, a single 17-storey tower block, simply designed in brick, concrete and glass stands.

A huge tower might be the last thing one would expect to find in a leafy suburb - but here the use of the landscape, the preservation of mature trees and the careful placing of the buildings make a calm and beautifully-proportioned whole.

Even the garages are concealed in a dip amid trees and planting.

The commissioning of a plaque in the main foyer denoting the history of the development is again testament to a certain pride in the building.

As beautiful as they are, many of the trees are getting on a bit and there didn't seem to be much evidence of new planting to replace them.

It would be such a simple task for the Calthorpe Estate to do to safeguard this lovely landscape. Next, two smaller developments exemplify Madin's approach to designing community spaces.

Neville House in Harborne Road was designed by John Madin

The detached houses of Clare Drive and Grenfell Drive, off Augustus Road, are arranged cloister-like around a wide communal garden.

The whole layout looks inwards onto this quiet space and standing in it you can appreciate the simple harmony of what are some of the finest keystones of Madin's domestic work.

Elsewhere, Estria Road, off Wheeleys Road, with its terraced town houses and low-rise flats is an example of a larger well laid out Madin development.

The town houses have well proportioned frontages with first-floor balconies forming pleasing canopies to the recessed front doors and kitchens.

The strong white horizontal fascias joined by rhythms of vertical balcony rails and well-proportioned windows are trademark Madin.

The well kept landscape has been preserved with many mature trees and planting schemes. The development continues into Cala Drive which consists of detached houses and town houses of the same design.

However, as we explored this development we noticed that everything might not be what it seemed.

At first glance, it appeared to be just as Madin designed it but look again: a number of frontages have been altered with extensions to kitchens, blank walls at first floor level where balconies had been extended over, interrupting the intended symmetry of the whole terrace. There were even a couple of UPVC porches.

But none of this yet distracts from the overall effect of the development.

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However, the estate lies in a conservation area and if these piecemeal alterations continue, it is possible, as has happened to other conservation areas around the city, it could lose its protected status.

Walking the leafy streets of Edgbaston, the first impression is one of Victorian grandeur with the odd bit of 1930s thrown in, which is how it was before the bombs of the Second World War laid parts of it to waste.

But it is a tribute to the city's post-war spirit that Madin's daring modern approach was adopted for such a traditional neighbourhood.

In the light of recent discussions in the Birmingham Post around the decline of the city's conservation areas by piecemeal alterations there comes a warning.

These examples show what can be achieved by effective partnerships between residents and estate management - but the line is thin and unless the city takes a stand to enforce conservation area regulations, there is little to stop the creeping degradation which has happened in so many other areas of our city.